1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to switched-capacitor techniques and in particular to delta-sigma modulators with improved noise performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Delta-sigma modulators are particularly useful in digital to analog and analog to digital converters (DACs and ADCs). Using oversampling, the delta-sigma modulator spreads the quantization noise power across the oversampling frequency band, which is typically much greater than the input signal bandwidth. Additionally, the delta sigma modulator performs noise shaping by acting as a lowpass filter to the input signal and a highpass filter to the noise; most of the quantization noise power is thereby shifted out of the signal band.
The typical delta sigma modulator includes a summer summing the input signal with negative feedback, a linear filter, quantizer and a feedback loop with a digital to analog converter coupling the quantizer output and the inverting input of the summer. In a first order modulator, the linear filter comprises a single integrator stage while the filter in a higher order modulator comprises a cascade of a corresponding number of integrator stages. The quantizer can be either a one-bit or a multiple-bit quantizer. Higher-order modulators have improved quantization noise transfer characteristics over those of lower order, but stability becomes a more critical design factor as the order increases.
Switched-capacitor filters/integrators are useful in a number of applications including the integrator stages in delta sigma modulators. Generally, a basic differential switched-capacitor integrator samples the input signal onto sampling capacitors during the sampling (charging) phase. A reference voltage may also be sampled onto a reference sampling capacitors during this phase. During the following dump phase, the charge on the sampling capacitor is transferred at the summing node of an operational amplifier to the integrator capacitor in the amplifier feedback loop. The operational amplifier drives the integrator output.
Noise performance is an important design constraint in delta-sigma modulator development. Noise can result from a number of different factors, including parasitic capacitances and timing mismatches. Hence, for applications requiring low-noise delta-sigma modulation, improved techniques for reducing noise are required.